Homo Habilis

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Transcript of Homo Habilis

Human evolution Ongoing process Not linear sequence Hominids Fossils Africa, Asia and Europe Where do we come from? 6,000,000 years ago Homo Sapiens Australopithecus Africanus Homo Erectus Australopithecus Boisei Homo Neanderthalensis Who is between the Homo and Australopithecus? OVERVIEW Handy Man (latin) st Representation of the HOMO genre 1st Hominid to make tools DISCOVERY TANZANIA Olduvai, Gorge Mary and Louis Leakey 1960 TRAVELERS 2.4 and 1.4 million years ago Biped Short in height 3 to 4 feet100 to 135 cm Weight:70 lbs32 kg Proportions similar to actual humans Brain Capacity 500cc-800cc 640cc HOMO HABILIS Australophitecus Homo Erectus Half the size of the Homo Sapiens brain Tools Hominid to make and use tools Oldowan Tools st Used to kill small animals, or to scavenge food from death ones “Whether or not early Homo had acquired language is another fundamental question, and the indirect evidence on this issue has been variously interpreted. It is the belief of some anatomists that endocranial casts of H. habilis fossils indicate that the regions associated with speech in modern humans are enlarged. Others disagree with this assessment, particularly since the number of braincases preserved well enough to make detailed casts is small” (Encyclopedia Britannica) Not great social skillsNo symbols No cultural expression GROOMING More complex communication of feelings Diet Teeth:Smaller molars and premolarsBigger and more important incisors MAJOR CHANGE Meat, leaves, woody plants NOT hard foods like nuts or seeds a well adapted species flexibility to thrive in different environments is a characteristic that remains existent in our specie today Is it really Homo or Australopithecus? Not like the Australopithecus Bigger brain capacity Different teeth Broader diet Human like feet and bones Human proportions Use of tools Whether Homo Habilis was the first to use tools or not is still a debate. Tools have been found near fossils of other species in different archaeological areas. RELATION WITH OTHER SPECIES Is Homo Habilis an antecessor of Homo Sapiens or just led to another dead end in human evolution? Homo RudolfensisHomo ErectusParantrophus Boisei Great step Ape-like Human-like The great spring into the category of the Homo.